


cardigan

by supervengerslock



Series: Hey, Stephen [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Doctor Strange (2016), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: BAMF Stephen Strange, Based on a Taylor Swift Song, Breakup, Cheating, F/M, Flashbacks, Parent Tony Stark, Pregnancy Scares, Prequel, Rebound relationships, Tony Stark's Parties, meeting in the rain, reader is Tony's daughter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:34:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27789070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supervengerslock/pseuds/supervengerslock
Summary: The downfall of Steve and Y/N Stark’s relationship from multiple perspectives.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Sharon Carter/Steve Rogers, Stephen Strange/Reader, Stephen Strange/You, Steve Rogers/Reader, Steve Rogers/You
Series: Hey, Stephen [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1463464
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. cardigan

Chase two girls, lose the one..

Her room was trashed. The bedding was thrown on the floor, the lamp was tipped over on its side. Books from her self littered the floor, pages torn. Pillows were ripped apart leaving feathers everywhere. And there, in all the chaos, was her.

Y/N was wrapped in her favorite cardigan. She leaned her back against the door and lowered herself to the floor as sobs racked her body.

It wasn’t supposed to end like this. It was supposed to be perfect. But it wasn’t. He wasn’t.

Captain Fucking America, the Golden Boy. If only the world knew. She remembered the first time she saw him.. How stupid and naive she’d been.

Steve, Natasha, Bruce, and Thor were all around the table as Tony and Y/N walked in.

“I think it’s about the mechanics. Iridium, what does he need that for?” Bruce asks.

“It’s a stabilizing agent,” Tony says, walking into the room. Y/N walked in behind her father and smiled when Steve saw her. His eyes widened as he saw her.

Y/N took the seat next to Steve as Tony kept talking. “It means the portal won’t collapse on itself like it did at SHIELD.”

“No hard feelings, Point Break, you’ve got a mean swing,” Tony says, walking up to Thor and patting him on the bicep.

“It also means the portal can open as wide, and stay open as long as Loki wants it to.”

Tony walks up to the screens and starts to mess with them as Steve turns to Y/N.

“So you work for Stark?” he asks.

Y/N shakes her head. “Stark doesn’t pay me a dime.”

“Does Loki need any particular power source?” Steve asks, joining back in the main conversation.

“He’d have to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier,” Bruce says.

“Unless Selvig’s figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect,” Y/N interjects.

“Well, if he could do that, he could achieve heavy ion fusion at any reactor on the planet,” Bruce says.

“Finally, someone who speaks English,” Tony says, shaking Bruce’s hand.

“Is that what just happened?” Steve asks. Y/N laughs.

“It’s good to meet you, Doctor Banner. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I’m a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster.”

“Thanks,” Bruce says.

“Doctor Banner is only here to track the cube,” Fury says, entering the room. “I was hoping you and Miss Stark might join him.”

Steve sends Y/N a glance, and she smiles back at him, her face turning beet red. “I’d start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a Hydra weapon.”

“I don’t know about that, but it is powered by the cube. And I’d like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys.”

“Flying monkeys? I don’t-“

“I do!” Steve interjects. Y/N laughs as a smile forms on Steve’s lips. “I understood that reference.”

“Shall we play, Doctor?” Tony asks.

Bruce nods and they walk out of the room. Y/N stands up to follow them. “I’ll see you around, Captain?”

“See you……Miss Stark.”

~

She still sat in the trashed bedroom, curled up into a ball. Her tears were surely dried by now.

“Miss Stark, your father is calling,” FRIDAY informs her.

“Answer it, FRI,” she says. If she ignored it, he would know something was wrong.

“Hey, pumpkin! FRIDAY informed me you came to the compound. Everything okay?”

“Not really,” she answers. “Steve and I broke up.”

“Oh, I… I’m sorry, pumpkin. Do you want me to come home?” he asks.

“No, I just want some time alone,” she answers.

“Okay, I gotta go now, big meeting. Love you,” he says.

“Love you, Dad.”

She picked up something off the floor, the only thing that wasn’t broken. Her favorite teddy bear from childhood. Her Dad has gotten it for her the a couple days after she showed up on the Stark Mansion doorstep one a basket, with a note from her mother, one of her dad’s old “girlfriends.” Despite all his activities… He was actually a really good dad. She hugs the bear to her chest while thinking back, trying to figure out where her relationship went wrong.

Y/N felt funny after getting into the fight with that witch, she was starting to see things, it was weird. She called out for her teammates, but nobody answered.

Suddenly, everything around her changed.

She was in the parking lot of an airport. The Avengers, all of them were there. Even that witch that just attacked her. Steve and her father were going head to head.

Suddenly, she was flying in her suit. And just as soon as she took off, she fell. And as she fell, the visions came faster. A car crash, a man with dark and the most beautiful eyes, a dark force approaching the earth. The dark haired man kissing her. A glowing green eye.

She watched as the man gave the glowing green stone, the one from the eye, to a purple giant. Then, one by one, the people around her turned to dust.

Y/N opened her eyes as someone was shaking her. It was Steve.

“Y/N? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just.. The witch showed me something.. I don’t understand what it means.”

“I think she got us all. Come on.” He extends a hand to her and she takes it, allowing Steve to pull her up.

Y/N looks at Steve and he quickly looks away. Whatever she showed him must’ve had him spooked.

“Come on, let’s find the others.”

She didn’t get the chance to talk to Steve again until you were at Clint’s house.

Steve was sitting on the bed in the room they were sharing. Y/N walked into the room.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” he replied, not looking up.

“You okay? You were pretty shaken up earlier.”

“Yeah,” Steve replies. “I’m fine, doll.”

“You saw her, didnt you?” she asks.

He doesn’t answer. That pretty much confirmed all of her fears. She turned and walked back out of the room, ignoring Steve calling her name.

~

She heard laughing inside the apartment as she stuck the key into the lock and turned before opening the door. Little did she know what was on the other side, her worst nightmare.

Sharon was sitting in Steve’s lap. They were mid-makeout session. Y/N stumbled walking in, she couldn’t believe her eyes. They didn’t even know she was there until she spoke up.

“Steve?”

Steve looked up in horror as Sharon had a shit eating grin on her face.

“Y/N, I… I thought you were at the compound tonight?”

“No, it’s our anniversary. We had a date. And you were… With her?” Y/N asks.

“Y/N,” Steve says, pushing Sharon off his lap and walking towards her.

Y/N’s fists were clenched at her sides, hot tears poured from her eyes. Without a single word, she walked past them, straight into her bedroom. Steve turns to Sharon.

“You should go.”

Sharon angrily picks up her purse and stomps out the door. Steve stands up and slowly walks to the bedroom door. He opens it enough to see inside.

Y/N was running about, hastily packing things into a suitcase. Steve opens the door all the way.

“Y/N, what are you doing?” Steve asks.

“Leaving.”

Steve grabs her arm as she goes back towards her nightstand, stopping her.

“Y/N, please, I’m sorry. I love you, I just, she reminded me of Peggy, and I…”

Peggy. Of course. The woman Y/N would never measure up to. “How long?” Y/N asks, tearing his hand off her forearm.

Steve sighed. “Since right after Ultron.”

“You mean right after the pregnancy scare?” Y/N asked. Steve nodded, looking down at the floor ashamedly.

Right after Ultron, Y/N had thought she was pregnant. She wasn’t, and for that she was glad, but after that she had noticed a rift between her and Steve. She just couldn’t pinpoint it until now.

Y/N said nothing but zipped up her suitcase, about to walk out the door.

“Y/N,” Steve exclaims. “You can’t leave! No one will love you like I do!”

Y/N stopped at the door for a moment, considering turning around. This wasn’t the first time Steve had said something like that to her, or the first time she had tried to walk out. But every time, she chickened out. Not this time.

Y/N turns her head to take one last glance at Steve. “I’m counting on it,” She says, turning back to the door and walking out, slamming the door in his face.

~

Y/N hurried down the steps of her apartment building with her suitcase rolling behind her. Well, it wasn’t her apartment anymore.

She would come back for the rest of her things later. Steve could have the apartment for all she cared. She didn’t want to sleep in the same bed that Steve had been in with her.

She should have known. How could she have been so stupid? She trips as one of the heels on her shoe breaks.

She takes the shoes off and continues her trek.”At least it can’t get any worse,” she tells herself.

At that moment, it starts to rain, and Y/N gets soaking wet. “Are you fucking kidding me?!”

And that’s when she broke down, right there on the sidewalk. She curled up into a ball on the sidewalk as the rain soaked through her clothes, and she started to shiver. People didn’t pay her any mind. It was New York, what did she expect?

Suddenly, the rain stops hitting her. She looks up at a man standing in front of her with an umbrella. He was tall and lean, with dark hair with two gray streaks, one on each side, even though he didn’t look old enough to have gray hair.

“Are you alright, Miss?” he asks, offering a hand to help her off the ground. She takes his hand, letting him pull her off the ground.

He was staring at her, waiting for an answer. An answer she didn’t have.

“I was having a breakdown on the sidewalk in the pouring rain, and I have a broken pair of shoes and a suitcase. Do I look like I’m okay?”

She continued to shiver and the man took off his coat, wrapping it around her shoulders.

“I’m Stephen, by the way,” he says.

“Y/N,” she replies.

“You’re Y/N Stark!” he exclaims. She shushes him.

“I really do not need this kind of attention, Stephen.”

“Sorry,” he says. “You know, I’ve got a car not too far from here if you need a ride somewhere.”

She narrows her eyes. “You’re not a serial killer or a pervert, are you?”

He chuckles. “No, I’m just a guy trying to help.” She didn’t know why, but she felt in her gut she could trust him.

“Well,” she says, taking off both her shoes. “Lead the way, Stephen.”

They reached his Lamborghini shortly after. Y/N was impressed. Her savior was loaded. Of course, she was also loaded, but that didn’t matter right now. Stephen opened the passenger door for her like a gentleman before getting in the driver’s side.

“So, can I ask what happened? You’re all dressed up like for a date, you’re carrying a suitcase and crying on the sidewalk.”

“It was… um.. it was mine and my boyfriend’s fourth anniversary. I was waiting at the restaurant for hours. He was still at work, he texted at like ten o’clock. I came back to our apartment. He was there with another woman. A woman from his work.”

“That’s awful,” Stephen says. “I’m sorry.” Both of them remain silent for a few minutes.

“Where can I take you?” he asks. She gives him directions to the compound.

“So, tell me your story,” Y/N says.

“Not much to tell there,” Stephen says. “I’m a neurosurgeon at Metro-General. The best actually.”

“Wow, had no idea there was another celebrity in the car,” Y/N says. “What about romance? Any girlfriends in your story?”

Stephen chuckles. “Why, are you interested?” Y/N laughs, almost forgetting about the horrible incident that happened just an hour before.

They pulled up to the compound and Y/N started to get out of the car. “Let me walk you to the door,” Stephen says.

She nods. The two of them walk to the door and Y/N shrugs off his coat, handing it to him before shaking his hand.

“Thanks for everything, Stephen. I hope we meet again someday.”

“Me too,” he replies with a smile.

“You know where to find me,” she replies before opening the door and going inside. She looked around the compound. Dead silent. And in this moment she realized she was truly alone.


	2. betty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve goes to the compound to try and get Y/N back after cheating on her.

he worst thing that I ever did.. was what I did to you.

Steve pulled up to the compound on his motorcycle. A Lamborghini sat there. It definitely wasn’t Tony’s car. Tony may be flashy, but he wasn’t THAT flashy. A tall, lean man was walking back towards the car. He was pale with dark hair. He was holding a closed umbrella and wearing a rain soaked coat.

Who was he? Steve was filled with rage and jealousy. He got off his motorcycle and stormed towards the man, shoving him up against his own car.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” he asks through gritted teeth.

The man rolls his eyes. “Why does it always have to be the dumb ones?” he asks.

“Excuse me?” Steve asks.

“Look, I was just giving Y/N a ride home, that’s it,” Stephen says.

“How do you know her name?” Steve asks.

“I don’t think you have the right to ask those questions after what you did to her,” Stephen says. “I spent two hours with her but I can tell you one thing, you don’t deserve her.”

“And you do?” Steve asks. “How old are you, like forty?”

“Thirty-four,” Stephen answers. “You’re a hundred.”

“You know if you’re here to win her back, you’re doing a really good job so far,” Stephen says sarcastically.

Steve clenched his jaw. He hated sarcastic assholes, especially this guy. Steve swung a fist at the guy’s face, hitting him square in the nose.

The guy looked stunned for a second. Putting a hand up to touch his nose. It was pouring blood. Definitely broken.

Steve smirked, thinking the guy would back down. Then, the guy spit blood in his face. Neither of them heard the door open and Y/N run outside.

“What the hell is going on?” she asks. “Steve! Let him go!”

Steve begrudgingly let Stephen go and turned to face Y/N, wiping the blood and spit from his face.

“What are you doing here?” Y/N asks, hands on her hips.

“I’m here to get you back,” Steve says.

Stephen rolls his eyes.“She doesn’t want you back,” he says.

“This doesn’t involve you,” Steve hisses at him.

“Leave him alone!” Y/N yells.

“Why do you care so much for him anyway? Are you fucking him?”

“Why would it concern you? You’re not my boyfriend anymore.”

“Yeah we’ve been broken up for two hours,” Steve replies.

“No, I’m not fucking him. He’s a nice guy who offered to bring me home since I was alone in the pouring rain in Brooklyn.”

Y/N walks towards them, steering clear of Steve and going to check Stephen’s nose. “We’ve got a doctor here, we should probably get that checked out.”

She takes his hand and starts towards the door. Steve’s blood boils. It should be his hand she is holding. He follows the two into the compound and all the way up to the med bay.

Thankfully for Steve, Dr. Cho kicks the two of them out. The both of them sit in awkward silence for a few moments.

“Y/N,” Steve finally says. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, you’re sorry?! You’re sorry for having an affair for a year with someone you told me was no one to worry about? You’re sorry for getting caught, plain and simple.”

“Y/N, I love you, please, it was one mistake..” he says.

“A mistake? What were you trying to put it in, her purse?” she asks.

“You’re a completely different person than I ever thought you were. Captain America, a filthy cheater. Does anybody else know?”

Steve nods. “Sam and Natasha.”

“Are you kidding me? Not only do you cheat on me and ruin our relationship, but you bring my best friends in on this too?” Y/N asks. “God, I want to hate you. I want to hate you so bad. But I don’t.”

“Do you love me?” Steve asks.

“Yes.”

“Can you give me another chance?” he asks.

“No.”

Y/N stood, walking back into the med bay to check on Stephen and Steve sits there, putting his head in his heads, wondering why he was so stupid. Why they had to fight that one night, why he had to meet Sharon at that bar…

~

It was a year before. Ultron was gone, and everything seemed like it was going to be okay. Tony has decided to retire from the Avengers.

“I will miss you, Tony,” Steve says as Tony pulls his car up.

Neither of them knew Y/N was behind them within earshot.

“Yeah, well it’s time for me to tap out,” Tony says. “Maybe I should take a page out of Barton’s book, build Pepper a farm, hope nobody blows it up.”

“The simple life?”

“You’ll get there one day.”

“I don’t know, family, stability, the guy who wanted that went into the ice 75 years ago. I think someone else came out.”

“Just take care of Y/N.”

“You know I will.”

Not long after, Y/N has locked herself in the bathroom, waiting on the results of a pregnancy test.

She let out the breath she was holding as she looked at the test. It was negative. She was only twenty-four years old. She was relieved, but she couldn’t help but be a little sad.

She imagined it then, a little house with a white picket fence, she and Steve would be retired from the Avengers, get married, and then have their children and maybe even a dog. A family.

She didn’t even know she was crying until tears dropped down her cheeks. She threw away the test, pushing it to the bottom of the trash can so Steve wouldn’t see it. There was no reason to get him all worked up over nothing.

Y/N opened the door and walked out and approached Steve. “Steve, we need to talk,” she says.

“Sure, what’s going on?” he asks.

“I took a pregnancy test,” she starts. “Don’t worry, it was negative!”

“Then why would you scare me like that?!” he exclaims.

“I didn’t intend to freak you out like this.”

“Well, you did.”

“Imagine if I had been pregnant, what would you have done then?” Y/N asks angrily. She was getting frustrated.

“I… Look, Y/N, you and I both know we can’t have normal things in this life..”

“Normal things, you mean like a family?” Y/N asks.

“Yes.”

“Well, then what are we doing?” Y/N asks. “What’s the point of staying together if this relationship can’t go anywhere?”

“No, don’t say that, Y/N. I… I know it’s unfair, but that’s how I feel. And I’m not going to apologize for how I feel. Maybe someday, I’ll change my mind, but I don’t know.”

“Maybe we should take a break,” Y/N says. Tears were pouring from Y/N’s eyes as she ran to her room.

“Dammit,” Steve mutters under his breath. This is exactly what he wanted to avoid. Y/N was only twenty-four, how the hell could she be thinking about marriage and babies?

Steve got on his bike and drove to the bar where he usually meets Sam for drinks. Tonight, Sam was nowhere to be found. Steve was drinking alone until a blonde woman sat down beside him at the bar. It was Sharon.

“Captain Rogers.”

“Sharon.”

Steve threw back another beer. He knew he couldn’t get drunk, but it comforted him.

“You look rough.”

“Y/N and I kind of had a big fight. I think we broke up,” Steve says sadly.

“Oh, I’m sorry. What happened?” Sharon asks.

“She wants the whole family and white picket fence thing.”

“And you don’t want that?” Sharon asks.

“No, at least, not now. But I don’t think I’ll ever want it.”

“You don’t have to want things,” Sharon says. “Just because everyone expects you to.”

Steve looked over at Sharon. Their faces were inches apart. It was wrong, but it was…. different.

Steve and Sharon both leaned in until their lips met. They were kissing. They didn’t care if it was wrong.

Y/N was waiting when Steve came back.

“Can we talk?” she asks. He nods.

“Y/N. Please, I know it’s unfair to ask you to stay with me, but I love you, and I don’t want to throw us away.”

“I don’t want that either,” Y/N sniffles.

“Come here,” Steve says, pulling Y/N into a hug. Little did they know, this was the beginning of the end.

After that, Steve met with Sharon secretly for “meetings” or “missions” or even “paperwork.” He was honestly surprised Y/N hadn’t caught on earlier. He noticed as the year went on, he got angrier, mostly himself, for doing this to Y/N. But instead of telling the truth, the two of them argued a lot.

Steve was late. Again. And Y/N had set up a dinner for him. Y/N sighed as she sat on the couch in their shared apartment, waiting.

It was weird. She had noticed Steve had been acting different since Ultron. She wasn’t sure why. She looked over at the nice table, already set with dinner on it. If Steve doesn’t get his ass home….

Around ten, Y/N decided to change into her sweats, the dress was getting uncomfortable anyway. She was starting to get worried now. What if he’s gotten into an accident with that damn motorcycle? What if he was in the hospital or even worse….

It was midnight when the door creaked open. Y/N was sitting in the dark living room with her arms crossed as Steve tried to sneak into the apartment.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in.”

Steve stopped in his tracks as he heard Y/N’s voice and turned around to see a cold dinner on the table and Y/N sitting angrily on the couch, glaring at him. She got up and started walking towards him.

“Where the hell were you, Steve? Did you forget we had a date?” Y/N asks a bit angrily.

“I was having a drink with Sam, I forgot, okay?” Steve says.

“I was worried sick! I thought you’d gotten into an accident or something! You should have called.”

“God, you are so fucking clingy,” Steve growls at you. “Can’t I just get five seconds of my own life?”

Y/N was near tears. “You promised we’d have a nice anniversary, Steve. You promised!”

“God dammit, Y/N. Shut the hell up for once in your life! Do you know how exhausting it is, being with you? Its all about you, all the fucking time! Guess it runs in the fucking Stark family.”

“Steve, take that back. Now.”

Steve didn’t say anything. “Have fun sleeping on the couch. Forever.” Y/N hurried into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

“God dammit,” Steve says under his breath. He punches the wall in anger. You were so much like your father, it irritated him sometimes, actually most of the time.

In the following weeks, the situation did not improve much. Yeah, you and Steve had made up after that fight and he didn’t sleep on the couch after that first night. But your fights kept getting more and more frequent.

Y/N was fed up with Steve. He was being a complete dick, and she decided she just needed to be away from him. She had grabbed her overnight bag she packed and headed for the door, not knowing Steve was standing right in front of it.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Steve asks as she steps out of the bedroom.

“I just can’t handle you right now, Steve. Call me tomorrow, and we can sort this out then.”

Y/N opened the door a bit and started to walk out.

“Y/N, If you loved me, you’d stay,” Steve says.

Y/N closed the door and turned back around. She knew she should have just left, right then and there. But she didn’t. Steve had tears in his and he gave her a smile when she walked back in.

Now, as he reflected back, he should have let her go. He could tell she was miserable in the relationship, especially in the last few months. But he was greedy. He didn’t want to lose her. What he didn’t know was he already had.

He peeks into the med bay at Y/N talking to the guy, whose nose had been fixed by Dr. Cho. She chuckled at something he said. Watching them, Steve knew in his gut that those two were meant for each other.


	3. august

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some unresolved feelings put a wrench and in Stephen and Y/N’s new relationship. Based off That 70s Show Season 5 episode 14.

August slipped away like a bottle of wine.. cause you were never mine..

Stephen and Y/N were in the elevator of the compound. Y/N was giving him a tour and letting him meet her friends. It’s been three months since the incident and the two of them were dating.

“The lab was really interesting,” Stephen says. “You do most of your work there?”

“Yeah, mostly tech stuff with my dad or working on equipment,” she answers.

The elevators open to the common room. Sam, Clint, and Natasha were standing on the far side of the common room, chatting to themselves. The reason being that Steve and Sharon were on the couch. And they were in the middle of a make out session.

Y/N narrowed her eyes as she stepped out of the elevator. And suddenly she couldn’t stop the words coming out of her mouth.

“Get off my boyfriend!” The room went silent. Steve and Sharon looked up at her in surprise, Sam, Clint, and Natasha looked over and Stephen looked a bit hurt.

Y/N put her hand over her mouth as she realized what she just said. Embarrassed, she hurries out of the room.

Stephen sat on the couch with Clint and Sam, Steve and Sharon had left the room, to argue no doubt. Natasha has gone to check on Y/N.

“I knew it was a mistake hooking up with Y/N , and I did it anyway. You know why? Cause she makes you stupid,” Stephen says. “I bet Steve was composing symphonies before her.”

“Come on, man, it’s not that bad,” Sam says. “Right, Clint?”

“No, it’s pretty bad,” Clint replies and Sam gives him a look.

“Let’s think about this rationally,” Sam says. “It’s only been three months since her breakup with Steve. There’s probably still some unresolved feelings there.”

Just then, Steve and Sharon enter the room. Stephen stands up.

“I’m sorry about what happened,” Steve says.

“That’s it. I’m gonna kick your ass,” he says.

“Whoa, whoa!” Sam says, trying to get him to settle down. “I think you might be out of your element here, man.”

“I don’t care,” Stephen says.

“Let’s take you in the other room to cool off,” Clint says, guiding Stephen into the kitchen.

“I don’t know why he’s so mad.I was just being sensitive.” Steve says.

“Well, be sensitive to me because I’m upset too,” Sharon replies. “If you expect me to go to the party tonight… you’re gonna have to do a few things for me.”

“One: You will not speak to Y/N.Two: You will not speak to girls who look like Y/N. Three: You will not speak to Y/N.”

“Yeah, baby, whatever you want,” Steve replies.

~

Y/N sat on her bed with Natasha.

“You should really talk to Stephen,” she says.

“Why is everyone making such a big deal about it?” Y/N asks. “It didn’t mean anything!”

Natasha sighs. “Y/N, the reason people are making a big deal about it… is because it sounds like you still have feelings for Steve.”

“Well, I don’t. I just had this weird reflex when the elevator opened and I saw them like that… It was just like when I caught them that night..”

“Am I a bad person?” Y/N asks.

“No! Of course not!” Natasha answers.

“I bet Stephen hates me,” Y/N says.

“He does not.”

“What am I gonna do, Nat?” she asks.

“Well, I‘d talk to Stephen for starters,” Natasha says. “Maybe even talk to Steve.”

~

Y/N entered the common room again. Steve and Sharon were gone. Stephen was gone. Clint and Sam were sitting on the couch.

“Is Stephen here?” Y/N asks.

“He went home,” Sam says. He grabs his keys. “Come on, I’ll drive you.”

“Thank you so much, Sam!”

Y/N knocked on the door to Stephen’s apartment and he opened it.

“Stephen, I’ve called three times in the last half hour,” she says. “So, what? Now you’re not taking my calls?”

“Why should I? I’m not your boyfriend, right?” he asks.

“Why are you making such a big deal about this?” she asks.

“Because it is a big deal when you yell, “Get off my boyfriend”… to a girl who’s on someone who’s not me!”

Y/N groans in frustration.”Stephen, It was just a stupid reflex. I didn’t even realize what I was saying. It didn’t mean anything.”

“So that’s your story? “It didn’t mean anything”?” he asks.

“Right. Right. So, you just need to get over it.” Y/N says, crossing her arms.

“Oh, yeah. Don’t worry. I’m over it,” he says. “I’m fact, I’m over you.”

Tears fall onto her cheeks as Stephen slams the door in her face. She hurried back to the car and she and Sam remained silent all the way back to the compound.

They enter the compound, where Clint and Natasha were waiting.

“Stephen broke up with me,” she says.

“Oh. Y/N, I’m sorry,” Natasha says, getting up to hug her.

“Hey, maybe he just wanted you to be able to spend more time with your other boyfriend,” Clint says. Natasha smacks him in the back of the head.

Suddenly, Sharon enters the room. “I think what we need to talk about Steve.”

“Fine. I’ll try to use small words so you can understand me,” Y/N replies. Sam, Clint, and Nat try to contain their laughter.

“That’s not gonna be good enough,” Sharon says. The group breaks into laughter in the background.

Y/N and Sharon sit down on the couch. “Look, I don’t like Steve anymore, I could never even fathom getting back together with him after everything, so don’t worry, he’s all yours,” Y/N says.

“Then what was that back there?” Sharon asks with a huff.

“I may have some unresolved feelings, but I’m just gonna have to deal with that on my own,” Y/N replies.

“Good. Because if you want him, you’re gonna have to fight for him,” Sharon says.

After Sharon leaves, Y/N turns to Natasha. “I need to talk to Stephen!”

“The party’s in an hour, Y/N,” Clint says. “Can’t it wait til tomorrow?”

Natasha smacks him upside the head. “Come on, let’s get you dressed up before you talk to him.”

Natasha drags Y/N to her bedroom, before going through her closet and pulling out a beautiful red dress. She helps Y/N do her makeup and hair before driving her over to Stephen’s apartment.

“You ready?” Natasha asks.

“As I’ll ever be,” she answers.

“Go get your man,” Natasha says before pushing her out of the car. Y/N hurried into the building and got into the elevator, and pressed the button for the top floor.

When she gets to Stephen’s door she knocks on the door. Stephen opens it, already dressed in a suit for the party.

“Stephen, I have to tell you something,” she says.

“Well, if it’s “get off my boyfriend,” don’t worry. I already heard it,” He replies.

“No. I have to tell you, you were right,” she says.

“When I said that, it did mean something. And I thought it didn’t,because sometimes I just want things… because other people have them.”

“Like once, I made my dad buy me a pet rat because my cousin had one. But then the rat got so disgusting, I made my cat hunt it,” she explains.

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” Stephen says. “Who’s the rat? Am I the rat?”

“No. No. Stephen! Look. Okay, I spoke to Sharon. And she made me realize that, okay… maybe I do have some leftover feelings for Steve. And then she said that if I wanted him. I’d have to fight for him,” she says.

“But, Stephen, I know in my heart the only person I wanna fight for is you.”

“Really? Oh, boy! You like Steve, but you like me a little bit more?” Stephen exclaims. “What a bunch of shit! You know what I think, Y/N?”

“I think the only reason you’re with me in the first place was to get back at Steve.”

“Stephen, how can you say that?” Y/N asks. “Okay, fine. Maybe I do have unresolved feelings for Steve. But what am I supposed to do? He was my first boyfriend.”

“And you know what?” she says, getting louder.“You’re gonna have to learn to deal with it.”

“And if you can’t and you’re gonna have to break up with me because of that… then I can’t stop you,” she says. “but I think it’s a real waste, because I love you.”

“I’m not saying it back!” He exclaims.

“I don’t care.”

“Dammit,” he mutters. “So, are we gonna go to the party or what?”

“Oh, Stephen!” He pulls her into a hug. The two of them headed to the party, newly in love and happy.


	4. mirrorball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephen and Y/N attend Tony’s party. Their new relationship mended.

I’ll show you every version of yourself tonight..

“Still moping about your girl?” Christine asks, walking into the break room, where Stephen was eating his lunch in silence.

“I’m not moping,” Stephen says. Christine gives him a look. He hadn’t seen Y/N since monday. She’d been busy with some secret project she couldn’t tell him about.

“I just miss her, maybe I should go see her.” Stephen says.

“Don’t you have another surgery today?” Christine asks.

“Yes,” Stephen sighs.

“Hey, guys!” Nick exclaims, bursting into the door. “We’re having a Charity Gala on saturday!”

“What are you babbling on about?” Stephen asks.

“Tony Stark is donating some money to the hospital!” Nick exclaims. “He’s hosting a party this weekend and we’re all invited!”

“Hey, you’ll see her there, Stephen!” Christine says.

Stephen considered Christine a friend, but Nick was nothing more than a colleague, more of a rival since they were both neurosurgeons.

Stephen was unusually giddy when he arrived home, checking the mailbox and finding the invitation from Stark Industries. He hurried to his apartment and started to count the days until saturday.

When the day finally came, he was super nervous. He’d visited the compund with Y/N earlier in the day, and then the incident happened, and they fought, then made up. He’d pulled on one of his expensive suits, tying the bow tie very delicately and then slicking back his hair.

He headed into the ballroom where the event was being held and gravitated towards the refreshments . Normally he wasn’t a drinker, but he would need a little liquid courage.

The party had an open bar, and Stephen sat on a stool as the bartender approached.

“What’ll it be?”

“Scotch, neat,” Stephen says. The guy pours him a scotch and Stephen takes a sip, scanning the room for Y/N. He came in with her, after making up from their fight from earlier, but she’d run off as soon as they entered the room, probably to find Natasha. He eyes her talking to a red headed woman. Bingo.

Christine sits beside Stephen and orders a drink for herself. “What are you doing, go talk to her!” Christine says.

“She’s with Natasha,” Stephen says. “I’ll go in a minute.”

~

Y/N scanned the room as Natasha prattled on about the upcoming mission in Lagos.

“Are you even listening?” Natasha asks.

“Sorry, I was just looking for…”

“For Stephen?” Natasha asks.

“Oh, how well you know me, Natasha Romanoff,” Y/N says. Y/N looks over towards the bar and sees him engaged in conversation with a woman. She frowns.

“Who is that woman?” Y/N asks.

“Probably just a co-worker, wouldn’t worry about it,” Natasha says.

“My last boyfriend slept with his co-worker for a year.”

The woman stood and left Stephen alone. “Case in point! Go!” Natasha pushes her in the direction of the bar, practically making her bump into Stephen.

“Stephen?!” Y/N exclaims, sitting next to him. “Who was that?”

Stephen chuckles. “That was Christine.She’s a doctor that works in the ER at Metro-General.”

“Oh” Y/N says.

“Were you jealous?” Stephen asks.

“No!” she insists. Stephen chuckles. “How’s work?”

“Can’t complain,” Stephen says. “You?”

“I’ve been helping with the new recruits, well we have one recruit that is officially Dad’s intern… Have you heard of Spiderman?”

“Yeah…”

“He’s the new recruit. Nice kid.”

Y/N noticed Stephen wasn’t really drinking in his scotch. “Why did you get that, you’re not a drinker? Are you trying to impress me or something?”

“Yes.”

Y/N chuckles. “Charming as ever, I see.”

“Beautiful as ever, I see,” he replies.

“Oh, Stephen, you don’t have to impress me,” Y/N says.

Stephen takes another sip of his drink, finally finishing it before offering his hand to Y/N as a slow song begins.

“Care to dance?”

“I thought you’d never ask!”

The two of them head to the dance floor and start to slow dance, though Y/N is very aware someone is watching her. Stephen notices the startled expression on her face.

“Everything okay?” Stephen asks.

“I feel like someone’s watching me,” she says. She scans the crowd before finding the culprit. It was Steve, dancing with Sharon, but staring intently at her and Stephen.

“How did he even get in here?” Stephen asks.

“Privileges of being Captain America I guess,” Y/N answers.

“I’m going to go say something,” Stephen says.

“No, just ignore him. Let’s just keep dancing.” The two of them continue to dance and Stephen turns Y/N around so he can glare back at Steve.

“So, I’ve got this speaking engagement on the second, it’s not a big deal, but I was wondering if you wanted to be my plus one?” Stephen asks.

“Are you asking me on a date, Stephen?” Y/N asks.

“Maybe,” he answers.

“I’ll have to clear my schedule,” she answers. “I know Dad’s got something at MIT a couple days before, he’s showing off some new technology or something.”

Stephen quirks an eyebrow. “Sounds interesting.”

“You can come if you want, as my guest,” she offers.

“Sorry, I’ve got surgery that day,” he answers.

Y/N looks up and meets Steve’s eyes, he and Sharon moved so he could see her. “He’s staring at me again.”

Stephen looks over and storms towards the two, Y/N hurrying after to stop him from whatever he’s about to do.

Stephen stops in front of Steve. “What are you doing here?” Stephen asks.

“I was invited,” Steve answers.

“You have been staring at her like a stalker all night, making her uncomfortable and I’m sick of it,” Stephen says angrily. “Take the hint, she wants nothing to do with you.”

Steve throws a punch, but Stephen is too fast and catches Steve’s fist in his hand, inches from his face. “Not this time,” Stephen says. “Now why don’t you get out of here, save yourself from making a scene.”

“Stephen, let’s go,” Y/N says.

“I can see the headlines now, Captain America Attacks Civilian at Stark Charity Gala!” Stephen says sarcastically.

“Stephen, please, I think you’re just making him angry,” Y/N pleads. Sharon remains silent off to the side.

“You may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero,” Stephen says, up in Steve’s face. And that’s when Steve lost it. He leaped at Stephen just as Tony and Rhodey showed up to separate the two.

Tony pulled Y/N and Stephen aside.

“What the hell was that?” Tony asks, looking between his daughter and the stranger.

“Steve was acting super stalkers towards me tonight and Stephen here tried to help me,” Y/N says. “Then things escalated, I tried to get them to stop.”

“Pumpkin, give Dad some alone time with your friend,” Tony says.

Y/N reluctantly leaves to go tell Natasha about everything that happened.

“It’s Stephen, right?” Tony asks. Stephen nods and Tony leads him to the bar.

Tony takes a bottle of scotch and two glasses, pouting one for himself.

“Scotch?” he offers.

“I don’t really drink…”

“Of course not, you’re a doctor,” Tony replies. “Look, I know you’re the one that took her home and got in the fight with Steve three months ago.”

“Okay…”

“I’m grateful for your kindness towards my daughter, but I’m also… concerned..” Tony says.

“Concerned?” Stephen asks.

“You’re a smart man. What do you think this is about?” Tony asks.

Tony’s trying to get him to not date Y/N.

“Look, Mr. Stark. I see what you’re trying to do,” Stephen says.

“Oh, and what is that?” Tony asks.

“Deter me from dating Y/N,” Stephen answers.

“Bingo.”

“Why are you so insistent upon this?” Stephen asks.

“How old are you, Stephen?” Tony asks.

“Thirty-four.”

“And do you know how old my daughter is?”

“Twenty-five.”

“Do you see what I’m talking about here?” Tony asks.

“Look, I get that you’re overprotective of your daughter, but she’s a grown woman, who can make her own choices. And if that choice happens to be me, well then that’s none of your business,” Stephen says. He stands before walking back over to Y/N.

Tony downs his scotch, a bit stunned. That was not the reaction he expected.

“Oh god, what did my dad say to you?” Y/N asks.

“Nothing important,” Stephen says. “Let’s dance.” The two of them got back on the dance floor and continued to slow dance.

Steve and Sharon stood off to the side. Steve was watching them.

“How can she be with him when she’s clearly not over me?” Steve asks.

“More like how can you be with me when you’re clearly not over her?” Sharon asks. “I’m leaving.”

Sharon turns and starts towards the door. “Sharon! Wait!” Steve calls, going after her.

“You wanna go somewhere a little more private?” Stephen asks.

“I would love to,” she says. Stephen leads her outside the main even hall before pulling a present out of his pocket.

“For our third month anniversary,” he says, handing it to her.

“You really do over shop, Stephen,” she says, unwrapping the present to reveal a diamond necklace.

“Good thing I did too.” She takes a present out of her purse, handing it to Stephen. He opens it to reveal a watch.

“Read the inscription!” she says.

He flips it over. “Time will tell how much I love you.” He smiles.

“I love it.”

“So,” Stephen says. “Do you want to go back to my place and celebrate our three month anniversary?”

Y/N giggles, taking his arm. “Lead the way.”


	5. exile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Y/N’s accident at the airport, Stephen has trouble operating on his own girlfriend. Basically an the Hey Stephen prologue extended edition.

I think I’ve seen this film before, and I didn’t like the ending..

Hear me out, Tony, that Doctor, the psychiatrist, he’s behind all of this.”

“Ross gave me 36 hours to bring you in, and that was 24 hours ago. Can you help a brother out?”

“You’re after the wrong guy,” Steve replies.

“Your judgement is askew,” Tony says. “Your old war buddy killed innocent people yesterday!”

“And there are five more just like him,” Steve replies. “I can’t let the doctor find them first, Tony, I can’t.”

“Steve,” Natasha says, appearing on the scene. Steve turns towards her. “You know what’s about to happen. Do you really wanna punch your way outta this one?”

Steve turns back to you and Tony. “And why bring her, Tony?”

“I can take care of myself, Steve!” Y/N retorted.

“Alright, I’m out of patience,” Tony says. “Underoos!”

Peter flies in and webs Steve’s hands, and taking the shield and landing on the jet behind Y/N. She smiled at the teenager.

“Nice job, kid!” Tony remarks.

“Thanks!” Peter replies. “Well, I could’ve stuck the landing a little better, but it’s just, the new suit.. It’s nothing, Mr. Stark. It’s perfect, thank you.”

“We really don’t need to have a conversation,” Tony says to Peter.

“Cap’n,” Peter says. “Big fan.”

“Yeah, we’ll talk about it later,” Tony says. He turns to Y/N. “Y/N, keep an eye on him.”

“Got it.”

“You’ve been busy,” Steve says.

“And you’ve been a complete idiot,” Tony answers back. “I’m trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart.”

“You did that when you signed.”

“You’re gonna turn Barnes over, or you’re gonna come with us, because it’s us!” Tony says angrily.

An arrow comes out of the air and cuts the webs off of Steve’s hands.

Tony and Rhodey fly off, and Y/N follows Peter at a close distance, to make sure he doesn’t get hurt.

Peter crashes through the window and shoves Sam to the ground, before turning to Bucky and stopping his metal arm in midair. Y/N hurried towards them, to protect the kid.

Bucky realized a kid just stopped his metal arm. Peter webbed them to the ground. He turns to her. “Did I do it right, Ms. Y/N?”

“Yes, Peter, now come on!” The two of them hurry away.

Y/N and Peter happen upon Steve, who was catching his shield. “That thing doesn’t obey the laws of physics at all,” Peter observes.

“Kid, there’s a lot going on here that you don’t understand,” Steve says.

“Mr. Stark said you’d say that.” Peter shoots his webs and hits Steve in the legs, pulling him to the ground. “He also said to go for your legs.”

Once Steve breaks free from the webs, he tries to grab his shield, but Peter webs his hands.

“Nice going, Peter!” she exclaims. Steve pulls the webs, flinging Peter through the air.

“Peter!” You exclaim. Steve turns to you. “I don’t want to fight you, Y/N.”

“Don’t then,”she says before flying away in her blue and black Iron man armor.

Sam started flying behind Y/N.

“Vision, I got a falcon on my six, do you copy?”

All she heard was static. “Vision!”

It all happened too fast. Sam ducked, and Vision hit her suit in the arc reactor, sending her plunging towards the earth.

You woke up in a hospital room. Tony and Peter were sitting in chairs. Rhodey was standing behind them.

“What happened?” You asked.

“You fell out of the sky,” Rhodey says. “Vision got your arc reactor.”

“Am I paralyzed?” You ask.

“Not forever,” Tony says. “You’ll have to go through physical therapy, but I think you might make a full recovery.”

Peter hands you a stuffed bear from the gift shop. “I got you this from the gift shop.”

You squeezed his cheeks. “You’re the cutest!”

A knock sounded on the door and a doctor walked in. “Hi, I’m Doctor Stephen Strange. I’m the specialist Doctor Palmer sent.”

Y/N smiles at the entrance of her boyfriend.

“Hey, kid, maybe you should head home,” Tony says. “Rhodey?.”

“I’ll take him,” Rhodey sighs. “Come on, kid. I’ll be back later.”

Peter and Rhodey leave the room.

“I’m gonna call Pepper.” He exits the room.

“Alright, so I’m going to send you for an MRI, and we’ll see where we can go from there.”

Y/N nods as he starts to look over something on his chart.

“Alright, I’ll send the papers in and someone will be here to take you to your MRI soon. See you soon, Y/N.”

“Stephen?” She asks.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

~

Y/N was asleep after the MRI and other tests and Tony was sitting the chair beside her bed when Stephen returned.

“Mr. Stark, can I speak to you outside?” he asks. Tony nods, standing and following the doctor into the hall.

“What is it?” Tony asks. “Is it about her spine?”

“Her spine will require extensive surgery,” Stephen says.

“Whatever it takes,” Tony says.

A little while later, Stephen returned. “How’s my favorite patient doing?” he asked.

Y/N chuckles.

“You ready for the operation today?” He asks.

“To be honest, I’m a little nervous,” she says.

“No need to be, I’ve done this a million times,” Stephen chuckles.

“It’s just kinda weird having my boyfriend operate on me,” she says.

“If anything, it makes me feel better,” Stephen says. “Knowing you’re in the care of the best neurosurgeon one the world.”

Y/N rolls her eyes at his usual narcissism. He was right, but still he didn’t have to brag every five seconds.

The two of them sitting in uncomfortable awkward silence before the door opens and a nurse appears. “Her father wants to see her,” she says.

“Let him in.”

He kisses her on the forehead. “Alright, I’ll see you in there,” he says, exiting the room.

Tony enters the room and notices she’s still blushing.

“You okay?” Tony asks.

“Oh, it’s just.. I’m worried about Stephen, it’s weird having your boyfriend be your surgeon.”

Tony sighs.

“What?” she asks.

“Y/N, he’s got a reputation,” Tony says. “All he cares about is his work and the fame and glory it gets him. He’s using you so he can get glory for curing Tony Stark’s daughter. He’s been using you.”

Y/N looked down at her hands, feeling stupid.

“I’m sorry, pumpkin,” Tony says. He kisses her forehead. “Good luck. I love you.”

“I love you too, Dad. Tell Pepper and Uncle Rhodey and Uncle Happy I love them too.”

The nurses come to take her to the operating room a few minutes later. At this point, they put the oxygen on her and the anesthesia starts to kick in. The last thing she sees is Stephen winking at her before she loses consciousness.

When she wakes, the atmosphere is more somber. She was in recovery for at least an hour before being taken back to her room.

Stephen enters the room a few minutes later. “Y/N.”

“Doctor Strange.”

“Unfortunately, there was more damage than we thought and it was impossible to fix your spine surgically. I’m sorry,” he says.

“No glory for you in that, huh?” Y/N asks.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh please, I know all about your reputation, Stephen. All you care about is your work and the fame and money that comes with that. You’ve been using me all along. You’re just sad that you didn’t get the chance to say that you cured Tony Stark’s daughter.”

Stephen tried to keep his composure. He would not fight with his girlfriend right after she got out of surgery.

“Babe, stop. You’re out of your mind from the anesthesia.”

“I can’t trust you,” she continues.

“You’re breaking up with me right after I operated on you?” Stephen asks.

“Yes.”

“I’ll give your case to Nick,” he says before he turns and walks out the door and she begins to cry.

~

Stephen slammed the front door of his apartment. He thought she was different. That she saw him for him and not his reputation. He quickly got dressed for the conference, knowing he still had to go, even though he wasn’t looking forward to it anymore.

He opened his watch drawer and picked out his favorite. Y/N got it for him for their three month anniversary. He’d gotten her a diamond necklace. The watch had an inscription ion on the back. He turned it over.

Time Will Always Tell How Much I Love You

Y/N

He put the watch on. Smoothing over the rest of his outfit before hurrying to his Lamborghini.

~

Stephen was driving at night, on a dark, winding mountain road . He sped up, passing another car on the winding mountain road. His phone started to ring and he answered.

“Billy, what have you got for me?”

“Would you reconsider taking back the Stark case?”

“Absolutely not,” Stephen says. “What else?” Maybe taking on new cases would distract him from Y/N. It didn’t m. She was all he could think about as Billy prattled on. He loved her, and he thought she loved him too. What could have changed her mind?

“I’ve got a thirty-five year old air force colonel, crushed his spine in some sort of experimental armor. Mid-thoracic burst fracture.”

“Well, I could help, but so could fifty other people. Find me something worth my time,” Stephen says.

“I have a sixty-eight year old female with an advanced brain stem glioma.”

“Definitely not.”

“How about a twenty-two year old female with an electronic implant in her brain to control schizophrenia struck by lightning?”

“That does sound interesting. Can you send me the- got it.”

The car collides with another car and spins off a cliff. Stephen presses the number for Y/N’s speed dial, and all he can think of is her face as everything fades to black.


End file.
